Students Rise to the Challenge of Common Core

PINEVILLE, La. (KALB News Channel 5) Teachers from across the state are gathering at Pineville High School this week to learn some new teaching methods for the up coming school year.

"Whenever I was in college and in high school, it was the instructor standing up and just teaching at you and you reading your book. It's not like that anymore, it is everybody participating, everybody is interacting, and everything is just so different," said Nicole Brister.

The National Math and Science Initiative Teacher Program is designed to change the way teachers approach education.

More than 230 teachers are learning to use the Common Core State Standards to engage their students.

Educators who have used techniques from the program say they have been impressed with the results.

"Last year I really started implementing all the common core stuff and one thing that I was amazed about my students here at Pineville High, they really rose to the occasion and I think they liked it more," said Courtney Daenen.

"I started incorporating these in my class room and as soon as I started incorporating, it started to work it's way up and our kids AP scores went from being terrible, we could not pass an AP exam in science to we had one of the highest pass rates percentage wise in the state of Texas," said Bryan Box.

The lessons can also provide a fresh approach for teachers as they prepare for the new school year.

"It's going to go from me standing up there and just talking at them for 55 minutes to me actually engaging them. Saying okay, let's look at this, let's put this in your hand, let's have this concrete lesson right here in front of you," said Nicole Brister.

"Instead of just looking at things from this top surface level. you know, quick quick quick, lets go over it, give the kids the answer, write it down, lets go, lets move on. The kids discover it themselves. The way this training works, is that we are the students and we are learning, you know, so we are learning the way the students would learn, and so we really get it and grasp on to it and I think the kids will too," said Courtney Daenen.

The national math and science initiative will be hosting another teaching workshop at Pineville High School for elementary teachers on August 17th.